Vehicle-top-bow holder.



S. T. ALLEN. VEHICLE TOP BOW HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1910.

Patented Feb. 14,1911.

w D $4M Q MT- Q W M @mflwmzsz m lTE gl- SHERMAN T. ALLEN, 0F DETROIT,MICHIGAN.

VEHIGLE-TOP-BOW HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. It, .19! .1.

Application filed June 20, 1910. Serial No. 567,797.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SUERWAN T. ALLnN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of lVayne, State of Michigan, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Vehicle-Top-liow Holders, anddeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact: description of thesame, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertainsto make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to vehicle top bow holders, and has for itsobject an improved device of this type adapted to tirmly hold theindividual bows of the top against rattling when the top is lowered, andto space the bows from one another and to relieve the lower bows ot' theweight of those above them when the top is lowered.

In the drawings :-Figure 1, is a side elevation of a portion of thetonneau of an automobile with the top in lowered position and thebow-holder shown in position thereon. Fig. 2, is a side elevation of thebowholder showing the heads 01" the bolts engaging through the side.Fig. 3, is a plan view of the open side of the bow-holder showing therelative position of the various parts. Fig. 4, is a sectional elevationalong the line a-a of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is an elevation of thebolt-engaging key with the cross sections of the bolts shown in relativeposition thereto. Fig. 6, is a vertical plan View of the holding bracketas it appears when in its normally oblique position shown in Fig. 1.Fig. '7, is an enlarged cross sectional elevation of the bracket, thebow clip and the locking parts.

1, represents the tonneau of the vehicle, to a bracket 2 of which ispivoted the top of the vehicle, which consists of several individualbows 3, 4:, 5 and 6, and fabric cover 7. Attached to the tonneau is thebowholding bracket 8, through the medium of the projecting knuckle 9, acomplementary piece on the outer face of the tonneau, and the bolt 9.The bracket 8 is kerfed lengthwise, or rather divided into two kerfslying alongside of one another, by a rib 10, which is preferably, thoughnot necessarily, integral with the side portions of the bracket. Thatone of the kcrfs or channels on the outside of the bracket, that is,farthest removed from the knuckle 9, is formed into a series of pocketsby means of transverse wall portlons 11. Each of these pockets tapersfrom a. relatively wide portion 12 at the top to a narrow portion 12near the bottom, which narrow portion is just of sullicient width toadmit between its walls the projecting tongue 13 oil the clip piece ll,one of which is attached to each of the vehicle bows on the inner side,in such position that, as the top is lowered, and the bows swing intoproximity with the holder, each one of the clip members will swing itsprojecting tongue portion 13 into its appropriate wedge-shaped slot orpocket in the bracket.

Engaging transversely of the bracket at these narrow points 12 oi. theslots are bolts 15 whose enlarged heads 16 engage through the inner wall17 of the bracket member, the top of these heads nornullly lying flushwith the outer surface thereof. 'lhese bolts are normally and yieldinglyheld in position with the heads in the described position, and withtheir stem portions engaging eompletely across the several wedgeshapcdpockets. In the inner one 18 of the horizontal channels, however, ishinged or pivoted a bolt-engaging key 19, from whose inner or lower edgeproject bolt-engaging points 20, which face one on each side of therelatively thin stem of the bolt, and under the enlarged head of it. I11response to the pressure of the springs 21 which are held in place bysome such means as the screws 22, the key lies normally closely againstthe central rib 10, but when twisted, through the medium of key 23, orany other medimn, such as a wrench, or, if the key is long enough,without any such member, the key bar swings on its pivot pins 2 1- andactuates the head. of the bolts away from the interior of the bracket,thus withdrawing their stems from their normal position across thetongue-containing pockets. In this position the various tongue pieceswhich are supported by the individual bows are permitted to slip down tothe extreme bottom of their several pockets instead of being stoppedshort of such position by the presence of the bolt stem thcreacross. Theinner ends of the bolt stems may, if desired be beveled, so that whenthe vehicle top is lowered and the clips slipped into their pockets theywill of their own impetus force the bolts back far enough and longenough to admit the clip ends. When the release of the tongue members,and thereby of the bows, is desired, the key is again actuated, andwhile the bolts are in retracted position, the hoisting of the topraises them out of the pockets, after which the release of the actuatingmovement of the key permits them to return to their normal positionsacross the pockets.

To prevent the accumulation of dust in the several pockets a hole 26 maybe provided at the bottom of each transverse wall 11, through which thedust will fall from one pocket to another and finally entirely outsideof the bracket.

If desired, a stop arm 27 may be pivoted on the under side of thebracket piece 8, as

shown in Figs. 3 and 4t, this to be swung to horizontal position beforethe top is lowered, in order to catch the top and prevent it fromfalling too far, if by any chance, such as the insecure pivoting of thetop to the bracket 2, the bows do not fall in the exact vertical planewhich will throw their clip members into the pockets of the bracket 8.

What I claim is 1. In a vehicle top bow holder, the combination of asupporting body piece, a plurality of transversely arranged lockingbolts, a plurality of clip members carried by the bows of the vehicletop and adapted to be swung by the lowering thereof to engaging positionwith respect to said body piece and locking bolts, and a bolt-engagingmember whereby said bolts may be swung from their normal lockingposition to permit the reception or the release of said clip members,substantially as described.

2. A vehicle top bow holder, comprising a longitudinally recessedreceiving member, clip members carried by the bows of the vehicle topand adapted to engage in the recessed portion of the receiving memberwhen the top is lowered, a set of locking bolts engaging transversely ofsaid receiving member, whereby said clip members may be locked inposition, and a key member whereby said bolts may be actuated to permitthe reception or release of said clip members, substantially asdescribed.

3. In combination with a plurality of vehicle bows, each provided with alateral projection intermediate its ends, a supporting bracket memberwithin a receiving portion of which the ends of said projections areadapted to fit when the bows are lowered, a plurality of bolt membersnormally lying in locking position with respect to the receiving portionof said bracket member, and a bolt-engaging key whereby said boltmembers may be actuated, substantially as described.

4. In a vehicle top bow holder, in combination with a receiving bracket,bolt members engaging transversely thereof, clip members carried on theseveral bows in position to engage said bracket, and a key memberwhereby said bolt members may be withdrawn from looking position withrespect to the clip members, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

SHERMAN T. ALLEN. lVitnesses WILLIAM M. SWAN, CHARLES 0. JENNINGS.

